Lance Corporal Richard Richardson

Lance Corporal Richard McAllister Richardson, ” C ” Coy., 1st Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders. He was killed in action in Mesapotamia on 7th January 1916, aged 20, during the fighting at Shaikh Saad. He was the son of Mrs Agnes White of West Fishwick, Berwick and is commemorated on the Basra Memorial, Basra, Iraq. Before the War he had been a keen member of Berwick Amateur Rowing Club. The Battalion was part of the force sent to try and relieve the British garrison under General Townshend, beseiged in Kut. This was the first action of the Relief Force against the Turks whose defences straddled the River Tigris and heavy casualties were incurred before the enemy abandoned their positions and retired towards Kut.